FG flays Canada over court’s designation of PDP, APC as terror groups

THE Federal Government has frowned upon the recent ruling by a Canadian Federal court, which alleged that certain political parties in Nigeria are terrorist organizations.

In a statement issued on Friday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed by its Spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, FG described the designation as a baseless classification, which was not only reckless but also constituted an unacceptable interference in Nigeria’s internal affairs and democratic processes.

The Canadian court made the declaration following a case involving a Nigerian, Mr. Douglas Egharevba, who arrived in Canada in September 2017 and applied for inland refugee status under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act of Canada.

But the court, in its ruling, made a sweeping accusation against two political parties in the country rather than focusing on individuals, who were found wanting.

“The larger ramification of the decision is that every member of the mentioned political parties is a potential terrorist, and that is completely false and unacceptable.”

“Nigeria is a sovereign nation with a robust legal and constitutional framework governing political activities. Our political parties operate within the ambit of the law and are integral to the country’s vibrant democracy. To associate legitimate political entities with terrorism without credible evidence is a grave misrepresentation that undermines Nigeria’s democratic institutions and could incite unnecessary tension.

“The Federal Government of Nigeria, therefore, calls on the Canadian authorities to immediately retract this erroneous designation and refrain from actions that could be misconstrued as endorsing politically motivated narratives against Nigeria.

“Diplomatic channels remain open for constructive dialogue, and we urge the Government of Canada to engage with the relevant Nigerian institutions to rectify this error,” the statement read.

According to FG, Nigeria remains committed to the global fight against terrorism and has made significant strides in countering extremist groups within its borders.

“It therefore calls on the international community to disregard this misguided ruling and reaffirm its confidence in Nigeria’s democratic governance and rule of law.”